1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cameras, specifically to a camera for facilitating multi-positioned photography.
2. Description of the Related Art
The ability to visually record moments through cameras and related technologies has transformed our society. Cameras are used to preserve memories, provide news, generate entertainment, and communicate ideas. The many manufacturers of cameras have provided a great variety of ergonomic camera designs configured to facilitate the different uses of a camera and to allow users to easily grasp, hold, and use the camera.
Modern cameras are generally designed with a trigger button disposed about the right side of the camera body so that a user operates the camera with his/her right hand. However, the conventional design is not suitable for all uses and so other configurations have been developed. For example, left hand cameras have been developed wherein a trigger button is disposed about the left side of the camera body.
Some improvements have been made in the field. Examples of references related to the present invention are described below, and the supported teachings of each reference are incorporated by reference herein:
U.S. Pat. No.: 7,151,571, issued to Yip, discloses a digital camera for use by both left-handed and right-handed users. The digital camera has a body design that employs a swivel mechanism and symmetric placement of pertinent camera hardware components, particularly flash devices.
U.S. Pat. No.: 6,567,618, issued to Kai et al., discloses a camera body has grip portions for right-handed users and the left-handed users provided respectively on the right and left sides thereof. A release button to be operated by the right hand is mounted on the side of the grip portion for right-handed users, and a release button to be operated by the left hand is mounted on the side of the grip portion for left-handed users. A ring member is rotatably mounted about a lens-barrel. When the ring member is rotated toward the release button for right-handed users, the release button for right-handed users is enabled, and when it is rotated toward the release button for left-handed users, the release button for left-handed users is enabled.
U.S. Pat. No.: 5,408,287, issued to Winegarden et al., discloses a photographic camera comprises a pair of right-hand and left-hand manually actuatable buttons, located proximate right and left sides of the camera body, for initiating respective camera functions and control means for changing the camera function the right-hand button. One of the right-hand and left-hand buttons is a shutter release button for initiating operation of a camera shutter. Thus, the shutter release button can be selectively tailored for right-hand or left-hand use.
U.S. Pat. No.: 5,270,761, issued to Kwak, discloses a camera body that has a pair of right-hand and left-hand symmetric openings for alternatively receiving a manually actuated camera device, such as a shutter release, thereby allowing the camera body to be tailored selectively for right-hand or left-hand use of the manually actuated camera device.
U.S. Pat. No.: 5,923,908, issued to Schrock et al., discloses a camera having a touch sensitive control with first and second positions spaced apart along a surface of the camera, and a shutter. A processor is connected to the touch sensitive control and the shutter, so that as a user slides a finger from the first to the second positions, the shutter is operated. The sliding shutter control inhibits vibration during picture taking while allowing a two-position shutter control. The touch sensitive control may particularly be a touch sensitive screen and icons controlling other camera functions can be presented thereon. These camera control icons can be re-positioned or re-sized on the screen to suit user preferences and/or physical limitations.
U.S. Pat. No.: 5,532,782, issued to Mori et al., discloses a camera having a depth priority operation mode. When the calculated stop value is less than the smallest possible stop value of a photographic lens attached to the camera, the photographic lens is driven so that the closest object is placed on the photographic lens side of the focal surface, when the closest object is focused into the photographic depth of field.
U.S. Pat. No.: 4,227,790, issued to Shenk, discloses a manual/automatic focus control mode selecting means are provided for an adjustable focus lens camera having both manual and automatic focus controls wherein said mode selecting means causes said automatic focus control to position said lens to a known reference point when the automatic focus control mode is selected and, in addition, reduces the power requirements of said automatic focus control.
U.S. Pat. No.: 6,812,967, issued to Niikawa et al., discloses a digital camera of the invention which has an LCD and an EVF. In a third display mode, a whole image is displayed on the LCD, a frame is displayed in the central area, and an image in the central area (within the frame) is enlargedly displayed on the EVF. An enlarged display icon is displayed on the LCD to thereby notify the user of the enlarged display on the EVF. The image capturing range can be confirmed on the LCD, and automatic focusing is performed on the basis of the image in the central area, so that focus can be also confirmed on the EVF. Consequently, according to the invention, both the image capturing range and the focus can be confirmed in the digital camera and an image can be efficiently captured.
The inventions heretofore known suffer from a number of disadvantages which include being difficult to use, limited to single purpose usage, being limited in adaptability, being limited in application, and being unduly complex.
What is needed is a camera that solves one or more of the problems described herein and/or one or more problems that may come to the attention of one skilled in the art upon becoming familiar with this specification.